Coolmore Stakes

Run on Victoria Derby Day at Flemington over 1,200 metres, the Coolmore Stakes this year takes place on Saturday October 29th. This is a Group 1 set weight race for three year old horses, with prize money totalling $500,000.

Formerly known as the Ascot Vale Stakes, the Coolmore Stud stakes was first run in 1933 as a race for two year old horses when it was won by Shakuni. In 1969 it was move to the Spring Carnival and changed to a race for three year olds. The race has undergone several changes in recent years. It has been elevated to become the major sprint race of the Melbourne Cup meeting. It is run down the Flemington straight, known as the Straight Six.

Because of the stud value tied to the race it has been targeted by stallions, but in recent years, fillies have become important, present-day winners including Alinghi in 2004, Gold Edition in 2006, Headway in 2009, and Nechita in 2012. The race was only switched to Victoria Derby Day in 2006, when won by Gold Edition.

Backing the favourite in this race could be the right thing to do, since eight out of the last 12 races have been won by favourites. However, in the last ten years, three out of ten favourites have failed to place. Overall, in the last 30 years, favourites have won 12 times and been placed on another five occasions.

Race Details

Since 1983, seven fillies have won the race, six of them in the years since 2000.

The top trainers since 1983 have been D. T. O’Brien with two wins from just four starts, and D. L. Freedman with two wins from nine starts. The leading jockey is D. Oliver with three wins from 17 rides.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes is guaranteed to attract the finest three year old horses. Some of which will use the race as a lead up to the Patinack Farm Classic which is worth $1,000,000 and is run a week later on the last day of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. The field has a maximum of 20 runners with four emergencies.

Interesting History

Flemington itself has a long and interesting history. It is the oldest metropolitan race course in the country, having held races since 1840, under the aegis of the Victoria Racing Club. The first race meeting was held when Melbourne itself was just five years old, and run on the river flats next to the Marlbyrnong river.

Flemington was originally called the Melbourne Racecourse. The original approach road passed through a property owned by James Watson who named the property Flemington after the town in which his wife, Elizabeth grew up, which was Flemington, in Morayshire, in Scotland. Watson built the Flemington Hotel in 1848, and a small township grew up around it.

In recent years, the Victoria Racing Club has spent a considerable amount of money in upgrading the facilities at Flemington, including the $45 million spent on the grandstand in 2000, and a further $26.2 million spent on improvements in the following four years.

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